handelaar writes: Perhaps in order to 'encourage' existing users of UK Tivo units to change their TV service to Virgin Media, pay £149 for a new "Virgin Tivo" that they won't actually own, plus £34.50 per month in service charges, Tivo is to cancel all EPG data service to all the Tivos still in use in the country — and existing units will become basically nonfunctional at that time. The faithful aren't amused", having stuck by the company for several years, and mostly paying £120 per annum for service until now. 50% of UK residents aren't able to avail of this generous upgrade offer even if they want to — the cable company in question only covers about half the country.

Arguably the TiVo's ability to access Internet services is key to a move to Virgin Media cable services alignment since BSkyB started producing its own satellite DVRs. Without any Internet capability using current BSkyB satellite services, driving Internet video content over phone line connections are very trying.

On the other hand, next generation satellite services include the soon to be launched 4G broadband dat